


Accidental Rock Star

by BananaShark7 (PurpleCrayon)



Category: Harry Styles - Fandom
Genre: 1970s, Fleetwood Mac, Time Travel, the eagles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-11-01 08:24:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17863820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleCrayon/pseuds/BananaShark7
Summary: What happens when Harry Styles (circa 2017) accidentally time travels 40 years back in time, and finds himself on stage with Stevie Nicks?(I posted this on Wattpad in a book of short stories, but thought I'd post it on its own here. More chapters to come once I'v finished editing them)





	1. Chapter 1

 

Just one week after releasing his debut album, Harry stood on the stage at the prestigious Troubadour in a pair of sparkly gold pants. As if this day-dream of a night couldn't get any better, he was supposed to be joined by none other than Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac, someone Harry has adored and looked up to for years.

"Thank you, you have all been so lovely tonight to come out on such short notice," he spoke to the crowd, who had just hours to secure tickets for this surprise, last-minute concert. "We're going to take a quick break, and then I'll be right back with a special guest."

The audience cheered and he waved one last time before leaving the stage. He picked up a bottle of water as he left the stage and reached for his phone in his back pocket to check the time.

"Sorry," he muttered when he bumped into someone, and quickly slipped his phone away.

"Watch it kid," they snapped at him, and Harry was taken aback a bit. He wasn't used to people talking to him like that, yet as he blinked in surprise, he was even more shocked to see what the man was wearing. Harry shrugged, considering the flared style of his own trousers, he really couldn't judge. The man moved on his way without a second look at Harry, so he continued toward his dressing room.

Or, where his dressing room had been. Harry looked around the hallway and realized everything looked very different than it had before: it was darker, the walls were painted a different color, but most importantly, none of the dressing rooms had his name on it.

"Okay," Harry mumbled, and wandered down the hall. He spotted Stevie Nicks' name next to a dressing room, and deduced that perhaps they had decided to go with a retro look just for tonight's special occasion. He was about to knock on her door when it opened and she appeared, with her back to him.

"Listen, Irv, I don't normally do this kind of thing, but if you insist." The petite woman shrugged her shoulders, and Harry had a bit of a fan-boy moment. The two had rehearsed earlier, but seeing her again - tonight, in this setting - was a whole new level of exciting.

"It'll do wonders for your career, trust me," the man responded.

 _'That's odd...'_ Harry wondered why Stevie would need to 'do things for her career' considering Fleetwood Mac was a Grammy winning band, and she'd had plenty of success over the decades.

Stevie turned around and startled Harry. "Did you bring that tea I asked for?" She asked, and it took Harry a moment to realize she was speaking to him.

"I'm sorry, what?" He sputtered and wracked his brain for any clue to what she might be asking him.

"Lemon tea, for my throat." She rolled her eyes and was about to close the door.

"I can get you some tea, of course," Harry spoke up, glad to oblige her. He looked around, suddenly forgetting his way around backstage. "Um, it's, over there, right?"

"Yes, at the end of the hall," she responded exasperatedly. "Really, they'll hire just anyone these days," she said as she closed the door, leaving Harry in the hallway in shock.

 _'Okay, umm'_  Harry wandered in the direction she had pointed in until he found what looked like an antiquated kitchenette.  _'Okay, this is...odd. Probably a safety hazard.'_

Harry set about trying to make some tea, and was interrupted by a staff member, so he asked them for help.

"What are you doing back here? Get back in the audience." The staffer tried to shoo him. "Seriously, where is security when you need them."

"I just need some lemon tea for Stevie," Harry answered, feeling insulted that someone would talk to him that way.

"Oh, are you with Ms. Nicks? I'm sorry," the other man apologized and grabbed a mug. He shuffled around a drawer and pulled out a tea bag. "You said lemon, right? You can get some hot water from the kettle, should still be hot."

"Thank you." Harry took the mug and finished preparing the tea. This isn't the way he would normally have made tea, but it would have to do. Harry brought the tea back to Stevie's dressing room and knocked on her door.

"Thank you- what's your name again?" She asked, looked up at him for the first time. Harry thought she looked different, but the lighting was so dim he couldn't tell what looked off about her.

"Harry," he answered, and worried that maybe she was losing her mind.

"Right, well, thank you." She turned around and closed the door, and Harry didn't know what to do. He was supposed to be on stage with her in a few minutes, and checked his phone to see how much more time he had. Harry swore under his breath when he realized he should probably already be out there and made his way back to the stage.

"Where do you think you're going?" The same oddly dressed man he had run into earlier stopped him and looked Harry over.

"Back on stage, I'm about to perform with Stevie," Harry explained, and waited for the guy to laugh and tell him he was just joking.

"On stage, eh? Who the fuck do you think you are?" The man laughed.

"I'm Harry Styles..." He answered uneasily, waiting to be let in on the joke.

"Hair style, eh?" The man glanced at Harry's hair. "Get yourself a fucking hair brush, and fuck off."

"But, really, just ask Stevie Nicks, I'm performing with her tonight."

"She's singing with the Eagles, so unless you are somehow the Eagles, I'd suggest you fuck off before I call the cops" The man clearly was not joking, and this time Harry backed off.

"Okay, I'll just..." He ambled in the direction of the dressing rooms and hoped to find his manager. But he somehow found Jeff's father instead. "Irving, I'm so glad I found you."

Irving turned around as he was leaving Stevie's dressing room. "What do you want?"

"I have no idea what's going on, and I can't find Jeff," Harry explained and felt his heart rate rising as panic started to set in.

"Who's Jeff?" Irving retorted and gestured to Harry, "Walk with me." He took off at a fast pace Harry had to rush to keep up with.

"Your son, Jeffrey Azoff?"

"Are you crazy? I don't have a son," Irving answered and shook his head.

"I  _am_ starting to think I might be crazy," Harry said to himself, but Irving picked up on it.

"Aren't we all? You kind of have to be a bit psycho to make it these days." Irving stopped at the kitchenette Harry had made Stevie's tea at and poured himself some coffee. "What do you need."

"I just, I don't know what's going on. Is this all a joke?" Harry managed to say, though his thoughts were all jumbled and nothing made sense, so who knows what he actually said.

"Life's a joke, get used to it. What are you really doing here? You looking for a manager?"

"No, I have a manager, it's your son, Jeffrey." Harry sighed exasperatedly.

"Did you call my secretary and she got the name mixed up somehow? Because I had to fire one last week for doing just that." Irving shook his head. "So, you're a musician."

"Yes, and I was just out there, playing my new album, with my band." Harry frantically pointed toward the stage and tried to explain.

"Oh, you have an album? What's it called?" Irving seemed more amused than curious, like he was just humoring Harry.

"Well, you know..." Harry looked at him, but he shook his head. "It's 'Harry Styles', because that's my name..."

"You named your album after yourself, how modest of you," Irving answered sarcastically and poured the rest of his coffee down the sink. "This is terrible, let's go find something better."

"I need to be on stage right now, I can't..." Harry really didn't know what to say, but Irving was the only person who even seemed to acknowledge him, so he didn't want to leave his side until he figured out what was going on.

"You want to see the Eagles?" Irving waved his hand and continued walking toward the exit. "They'll still be there when we get back. I know a place just across the street that has some amazing coffee."

Harry reluctantly followed him outside and turned to look up at the sign over the main entrance. Earlier tonight, it had displayed his name in glowing block letters. Now, it just listed the Eagles and Stevie Nicks. "I don't understand."

"Listen, kid, you're clearly on a bad trip, or something, let me just buy you some coffee and maybe that'll help clear up your head." Irving dragged Harry across the street, and Harry balked at the cars parked on the side of the road. Why did they all look so old? Was there a convention in town tonight?

"I'm not on drugs, I don't think..." Harry paused. A 'bad trip' as Irving had called it, would explain this. Except, he was fine up until the time he left the stage. He looked down at the water bottle in his hand and wondered if it had been drugged.

"Just drink this." Irving handed him a styrofoam cup of coffee, and for the first time Harry saw Irving under proper lighting.

"Wait a second..." Harry took a step back. "Have you done something to your hair? And...face?" Irving looked nearly forty years younger, and no amount of makeup could have caused this drastic of a change. And Harry hadn't seen a styrofoam coffee cup in LA in....well, probably ever- nobody used styrofoam anymore.

"What are you talking about?" Irving finally stopped his speed walking and looked Harry in the eye.

It suddenly hit Harry, though he wasn't sure how it had happened, but he was not in the year 2017 any more. The cars, the oddly dressed man backstage, the difference in Irving and Stevie's appearances...."Irving, what year is it?" Harry asked in a serious, and frightened tone.

"Did you mess up your head in Vietnam or something?" Irving looked at him in bewilderment. "It's 1977, kid."


	2. Chapter 2

_'1977...it can't be 1977'_  Harry repeated in his head over and over as he followed Irving backstage.

"I can't let you back here again - god knows how you got in here in the first place - but if you really want to see the Eagles, I can sneak you into the audience." Irving stopped Harry before they got too far.

Harry had no idea what he was supposed to do, and figured watching a gig was the last thing he should be doing, instead of trying to figure out what had happened to him. But it  _was_ tempting to see the Eagles in 1977, especially with special guest Stevie Nicks.

Harry didn't respond, so Irving took that as a 'yes'. "Alright, come this way," he gestured, and took off again. Harry was pushed into the audience near the back, and he suddenly felt like he was dreaming. Nothing felt real, but the initial panic was gone and was slowly being replaced by a surreal sense of disbelonging. He felt so out of place, and yet, he wanted to be here more than anything.

The 1970's had been Harry's inspiration for his album, and to see it and experience it in person was a dream come true. Yet, Harry was sure he had to be dreaming, or as Irving suggested, drugged. How could he have physically transported back to 1977? Maybe he had been hit by a car or something, and was sitting in 2017 in a coma.

 _'Hey, I know this song'_  Harry realized he recognized the start of 'Hotel California', the song that had earned the Eagles a Grammy nomination, though if Harry recalled correctly, the album 'Hotel California' lost to Fleetwood Mac's album 'Rumors' at the Grammy's this year.

 _'Niall would be so jealous'_  Harry laughed to himself and was about to pull his phone to take a picture, when he stopped himself. He couldn't just pull out a smartphone in 1977 without drawing a few stares, so he left his phone safely hidden in his back pocket. He looked around, but everyone was focused on watching the band, so Harry tried to blend in.

After a few songs, he found himself settling down and actually enjoying himself. He cheered with the crowd, sang along with his favorite songs, and danced with the audience. When Stevie Nicks came out, he went wild and cheered for her just like everyone else. First, she sang 'Landslide' - a song Harry had always loved, but felt like he was hearing it for the first time again. Then, she sang a few songs with the Eagles.

Stevie and Don Henley seemed quite friendly with each other on stage, and Harry tried to remember if they'd had a thing back then. Harry didn't really pay attention to gossip like that, especially not gossip that had happened 40 years ago, so he really had no clue.

As the concert came to a close, Harry found himself being pulled back stage. "Mr. Azoff would like to see you," the assistant tugging on his arm explained.

"Okay..." Harry's hopes lifted, because he had no idea where he was going to go after this. He was led backstage and overheard the familiar sound of Irving telling someone off.

"I don't care how much you'll pay them; the Eagles are my client, and if you want to book them, talk to me first!" He screamed into a phone and slammed the receiver down. "Well, that really screws up my plans for tomorrow." His eyes lit up when he saw Harry. "Hey kid, what're you doing tomorrow night?"

"Nothing."

"And you can play guitar, right?" Irving asked.

"A bit, yes."

"That'll do." Irving grabbed his hand and shook it. "Congratulations, kid, you're going to play here tomorrow night with Stevie Nicks, because  _someone_!" He shouted and looked over his shoulder at some poor victim. " _Someone_  double booked the Eagles, and they're already headed off to their next show."

"Oh, okay." Harry couldn't believe how fortunate this timing was.

"Wonderful. Can you start tonight?" Irving asked, and Harry nodded emphatically. "Stevie!" He shouted as she walked past.

"What, Irv?"

"This young man is going to perform with you tomorrow night. I'm sure I can find a backing band by then." Irving explained, and left to arrange the aforementioned backing band.

"Hey, he's the 'lemon tea' boy," Stevie pointed out and looked him up and down. "Nice pants; I like your style."

"Well, that happens to by my name," Harry responded cheekily.

"Nice pants?" Stevie was confused how that could be his name.

"I meant 'style', actually, it's my last name. Harry Styles..." He remembered that that name meant nothing in this decade, and wouldn't even exist for several more decades.

"Oh, right, Harry." She nodded, remembering he had told her his name before. "Irving says you're a musician?"

"Yeah, I sing, play a bit of guitar," Harry sheepishly explained, still feeling a little star struck around her.

"Good. We can start rehearsing tonight if you want."

"That would be lovely." Harry smiled and she led him outside to a car waiting for her. On the ride up to Stevie's house, she went over the songs they were going to play, and Harry realized he knew about half of them already. By the time they arrived, Stevie was complaining about her very high heeled boots.

"Can you help me get these things off?" She sat down once they got inside and stuck a leather boot covered foot out toward him.

"Yes, well, 'give to me your leather, take from me, my lace'." Harry quoted cheekily as he helped her take her boots off.

"Huh?" Stevie looked back at him. "Your lace?"

"Um, it's-" Harry stopped, and froze when he realized that song hadn't come out yet, and wouldn't for a couple more years. "Just a song I'm working on, it's nothing."

"No, I like that, keep going." Stevie leaned forward and eyed him intently.

"Um, well, do you have a guitar? I can play it for you." The pair were supposed to sing 'Leather and Lace' together in 2017, so he conveniently knew all the words.

"Yeah, let me grab it for you." Stevie left and returned a few minutes later with a guitar, and handed it to Harry.

He strummed a bit and tried to figure out the tune. Even though she'd never heard the song before, and wouldn't know if he played it wrong or not, Harry was still very nervous. Yet, he got through the song okay, and Stevie liked it so much she asked him to write down the lyrics so she could learn it.

"We could sing this tomorrow, if you want," Stevie commented as he wrote. "Do you have anything else like this? Didn't Irving say you had an album?

"Yeah, but this isn't on it." Harry almost laughed, considering 'Leather and Lace' was actually on Stevie Nicks own album,  _Bella Donna_.

"Can I hear some of it?" She asked once he'd finished.

"I don't have a recording of it with me." Harry paused. He did have his album on his phone, but he couldn't play that for her.

"No, I mean, can you play it for me." She laughed and nudged the guitar on his lap.

"Oh, yes." Harry laughed. "Of course. Um...this is 'Two Ghosts'." He began playing, and started to wonder if this might not be a good idea, but by the end of the song Stevie was nearly in tears.

"That is just beautiful, lemon tea boy," she commented. "Think we could sing that one as well tomorrow night?"

Harry hesitated, because he'd hate for his song to get stuck in 1977, and if/when he ever returned to 2017, find he had somehow released that song forty years earlier with Stevie Nicks. Then again, Harry wasn't sure how he got here, or if he could get home, so maybe it didn't matter. "Yeah, of course," he answered, and the two went through the song again.

The next morning Harry woke up on the couch wearing just his boxers and another man's shirt. He sat up and inspected the shirt, not really remembering how he had gotten it, just as Stevie emerged from the kitchen wearing the shirt Harry had been wearing.  _'What happened last night?'_  Harry tried to recall, and rolled off the couch to find his pants.

"Listen, lemon tea boy, we're going to need to get you another outfit for tonight because I'm not appearing on stage next to those." She vaguely gestured her hand limply toward his glittery pants - neatly folded on the back of a chair. Harry was also starting to wonder if she called him 'lemon tea boy' because she couldn't remember his name

_'Okay, if they're neatly folded, that probably means we didn't-'_

"But you can keep that shirt, some guy left it here." She pointed to the t-shirt he was wearing and shrugged. "Coffee?"

After breakfast they bought him a new, more appropriate, outfit - as Stevie had suggested - and then went to a studio to meet the backing band Irving had found for them. She wanted Harry to teach them his new songs, and he panicked for a moment because he didn't know every part in 'Leather and Lace'.

"Wait, I do know it, just, give me a minute." Harry left and hid in the bathroom. He pulled out his phone and listened to the song a few times to generally get how each instrument was supposed to be played.

There was a banging on the door and he almost dropped his phone. He quickly turned it off to save the battery and opened the door.

"Were you doing cocaine in there?" The bassist from the band Irving had hired to play with them asked.

"No, no, I was just..." Harry panicked again.

"Because I'm looking for some. Do you have any?"

"No, sorry." Harry forgot how different things were back then, and smiled to himself as he returned to the studio. He began trying to instruct the band how to play 'Leather and Lace' as best as he could, and after a few tries it started to come together nicely and almost sounded like the real thing.

Irving barged into the studio their second or third time through the song and interrupted them. "What is this?"

"A song Harry wrote." Stevie explained, and Harry blushed.

"You wrote this?" Irving turned to stare at Harry.

"Kind of, I had help, but mostly, yes." He felt bad lying about it, and practically stealing Stevie's song, but what else could he say - I accidentally time traveled here from the future, and this song is going to be a hit in a few years?

"We're going to make this song a hit, kid, and we'll get your name out there. It'll be huge." Irving nodded, seeing the possibilities and profits this could create. "I can't wait to see you play tonight."

Harry contemplated this the rest of the evening as they practiced the rest of the songs they were going to play, including his own 'Two Ghosts' and 'From the Dining Table.' He didn't think either of those songs would become popular and jeopardize their integrity in 2017, and honestly, Harry wasn't sure he would be able to return to 2017. He didn't know how he got here, so he didn't know how to get home. So if playing 'Leather and Lace' was going to get his name out there -as Irving had said- then Harry would take it; he had to survive somehow.

That evening, Harry put on the outfit Stevie insisted he buy (or rather, that she bought for him, since he didn't have any money), and as he hung out backstage with Stevie Nicks and their hired backing band, Harry started to feel like maybe he belonged. Or rather, that if he were stuck here, he felt he might be okay with that. He might be able to fit in, and with Irving as his manager, he could possibly be successful. He could recreate his whole album, and as many other songs that he could remember.

"Hey, Stevie." Irving pulled her to the side, out of ear shot (or so he thought). "That thing I mentioned to you yesterday, about you and Don Henley? Forget about it, I have a better idea."

"Oh really? A better idea?" She sounded sarcastic, but Harry couldn't see her face. "Fine."

"You're up next!" The stage manager shouted, and Harry and Stevie got ready while their band set up. Harry checked to make sure his guitar was in tune, and waited for them to be introduced.

"The next performer is Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac," the announcer paused for cheers. "The Eagles couldn't make it again, so she'll be on her own tonight."

 _'Right, not famous here. Yet.'_ Harry reminded himself, and followed Stevie on stage.

"Well, I'd like to introduce this young man here, since we're going to play a few of his own songs tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Harry Styles!" Stevie held her arm out to introduce him.

 _'Okay, so she does know my name'_  Harry thought, and smiled at the audience as they clapped disinterestedly.

This didn't exactly boost Harry's self esteem, and they got off to a rocky start. The first few songs he was just providing backing vocals and harmony, so if he was nervous, it didn't show as much. Yet, he became increasingly anxious as they got closer to singing one of his own songs, and he tried to clear his head.

He took a deep breath as Stevie introduced 'From the Dining Table' and he tried not to look out at the audience. One consolation he took from tonight's performance was that no one was recording it on their phone, or probably in any other way, so if it was a complete mess no one would ever have to hear it again. And yet, if it really did go terribly, no one may ever want to hear him again, and Harry was starting to think that wouldn't be such a bad outcome.

"Woke up alone in this hotel room," Harry began, and the rest of the song seemed to flow as he got back into the rhythm of singing his own music. Stevie joined him on the chorus, which ended up sounding quite beautiful. When the song came to a close, Harry kept his eyes down after playing the last note, not wanting to see the audience's reaction. They didn't know who he was - they had no reason to like his music, unlike his fans back in 2017.

The crowd cheered like they had for most other songs that night, though maybe not as enthusiastically since it was a new song and none of them had heard it before. They moved onto the next song before Harry really had time to think about it, and before he realized it, 'Leather and Lace' was up.

Stevie again introduced the song, and as they started, Harry saw Irving talking to a few men in the audience dressed in nice suits - much nicer than the rest of the crowd there that night. This sent the butterflies in his stomach aflutter again, but as Stevie began singing, he was brought back to their rehearsals together in 2017. They were supposed to have sang that song together here at the Troubadour last night - well, forty years from last night. He felt calm again, and pushed aside the butterflies as the song progressed.

As the song concluded, the audience erupted with cheers and Harry's self esteem soared. He felt a hand slide around his waist, and looked down to see Stevie giving him a hug.

"They loved it, lemon tea boy," she quietly said to him and gave him a squeeze before withdrawing. Speechless, Harry could only smile back at her, and realized she was referring to someone particular in the audience. She followed her line of sight to the men in nice suits Harry had identified earlier, and saw them nod approvingly with Irving by their side.

"That's good," he said absently and realized the men Irving was with were possibly from a record label, or someone equally important. When Irving said he'd make this song a hit, and get Harry's name out there, he was serious. Harry was filled with a new kind of confidence at this realization, and the rest of the show seemed to fly by that evening.

The evening was a bit of a whirlwind after they left the stage. Irving greeted them back stage and said he'd already gotten Harry a meeting about producing that song, and hopefully getting him signed to a label. Then, Stevie brought him along to a party where he met the rest of Fleetwood Mac, and they even jammed for a bit. Mick Fleetwood himself said he'd love to hear Harry's 'Leather and Lace' again, so he and Stevie gladly sang it one more time. It was clear this song was going to be popular, and Harry was riding on a wave of confidence-boosting euphoria.

As the evening turned to morning and things started to quiet down, Harry felt there was something lacking from his 'cover' of the song, and he decided to listen to the original one more time. He found a quiet room and closed the door so he wouldn't be caught with his phone, and turned it back on again. Harry froze when he pulled up the song on his phone, and his blood turned to ice in his veins.

The song was no longer listed as Stevie Nicks' and Don Henley's song on her album  _Bella Donna_  released in 1981; instead, it was listed as his own hit single from 1977.

Harry was changing history.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Harry has changed history, and inadvertently left his mark in a time he shouldn't even have existed during. What repercussions will follow this change? Will this effect Harry's ability to possibly return to 2017? Or, will he end up preferring to stay in 1977? We'll find out soon in part 3 of Accidental Rock Star!
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting!


	3. Chapter 3

 

 _'Bloody fucking hell!'_  Harry leaned back and looked at the song title on his phone. Not only was 'Leather and Lace' considered his own song in 2017, but the album title showed up as 'Harry Styles' Greatest Hits of the 1970s-1980s'. So not only did he steal Stevie Nicks' song, but he got famous and made a career for himself from it.

Harry's stomach filled with guilt and he thought that he was going to be sick. He turned his phone off and hid it under his pillow to try to hide the damage he was going to cause by releasing this song himself. This may not hurt Stevie's, or even Don Henley's, careers that much, but he was essentially stealing their work and profiting from it himself.

As of 1977, this song hadn't technically been written yet, Harry reminded himself, and rolled over in bed to reach under his pillow for his phone. So, it wasn't  _actually_  stealing, right? His hand hovered near the power button on his phone, but he couldn't bring himself to turn it back on. Harry desperately wanted to find the song on his phone again and see what else was listed on that 'Greatest Hits' album, but....he couldn't do it. He remained frozen, staring at his phone as a thousand thoughts rushed through his brain.

 _'That would be cheating'_  he thought, and he couldn't steal a song to make himself famous, and then cheat his way into maintaining that fame. Could he? They were technically his songs, right? Unless...

Harry again pulled his phone out from under the pillow, but this time he wanted to check to make sure he hadn't stolen the rest of the songs from his 'Greatest Hits' album from other artists, songs that hadn't been released yet.  _'No,'_  he shook his head.  _'I wouldn't do that, right?'_

Harry lay on his bed looking up at the ceiling as the early morning sun began creeping through the curtains. He had to make up his mind, and fast, whether he wanted to go through with recording and releasing 'Leather and Lace' as his own song, thus setting a path for himself and building his career on deceit and lies, or would he do the right thing? Would he give the song "back" to Stevie Nicks, and let her release the song on her album  _Bella Donna_  as it should be?

Harry somehow fell asleep contemplating this moral decision, and tossed and turned for a few hours before he was awoken by the exact woman he was having nightmares about.

"Wake up, lemon tea boy!"

Harry's eyes shot open and he wondered if he was still asleep. Stevie stood over him with the sun beaming through the open curtains behind her, looking like an angel. She handed him a cup of coffee and Harry gladly accepted.

"Irving called, and he'd like to talk to you. He'll be here in an hour, so I suggest you clean up a bit." She gestured toward Harry's messy bedhead hair, and he nodded at her suggestion. "Shower's just through there, and breakfast is on the table whenever you're ready." She announced before leaving Harry on his own again.

 _'Oh shit...'_  Harry suddenly remembered what had happened last night, and the mental argument he had been having with himself for the last few hours. He drank his coffee quickly and hopped in the shower, hoping it would clear his head and point him in the right direction. He still had no idea what to do, even though he knew what the  _right_  choice was - what would be the best option for him? If he was going to be stuck here in 1977, then he might as well make a career for himself.

Then again, could he live with himself, and appreciate the fame he might have, if he knew it was all because of a stolen song?

He quickly dressed and found some food at the table, slowly munching on it as he didn't have much of an appetite, and tried to make up his mind before Irving arrived. Various house guests from last night's party buzzed around him and came and went without him noticing.

"Alright, kid, what's it going to be?" Harry jumped when he realized Irving was sitting across the table from him, staring at him with the intimidating look Harry had become used to in 2017. Yet here, in 1977, it looked somewhat different. Irving did not yet have the power or influence he would at the peak of his career, so he was after Harry's success as much as Harry was.

Harry dropped the apple he was trying to eat and looked up at his future manager's father. "What?"

"I said, what is it going to be?" Irving repeated and raised his eyebrows as he waited for Harry's response. "Are you going to sign, and release that amazing song of yours as a single, or not?"

This was it. Harry knew he had to make up his mind; it was either now or never.

But it wasn't really, was it? He still had his career back in 2017 (hopefully), and this was just a weird dream, right? This wasn't his only shot at fame, even if he was stuck in 1977, because he could try writing his own music, instead of 'stealing' something that hadn't come out yet.

Yet at the same time, Harry wanted to be one of those 1970s/80s rock stars he had grown up idolizing; he wanted to the fame and glory of Mick Jagger, and the elusiveness of Prince, and the eccentricness of David Bowie - Harry wanted all of that.

Irving eyed him, and made Harry more anxious than he had ever felt before, as he tried to come to a conclusion. But really, there was only one answer he could give Irving, and it was glaringly obvious.

"No," Harry shook his head, and watched as Stevie poured a cup of coffee for her guests, making sure they found some food and had slept okay after the party. He was her 'lemon tea boy' and he couldn't do this to her, or to himself.

"No, what? No you don't want to be famous? You don't want this song to be a hit?" Irving leaned back and shook his head. "You really are on drugs, aren't you?"

"I just...it's complicated. I can't do it." Harry stammered and tried to come up with a reasonable explanation, but he was having a hard time convincing even himself that this was the right choice.

"I have studio execs waiting to sign you, waiting to record that song and release it. Do you not realize the opportunity you have here?" Irving looked at Harry like he was dumb and shook his head.

"I can't, not like this..." Harry averted his eyes and looked back at his half-eaten apple. It was the right thing, but why did it have to hurt so much?

"Do you realize what you're throwing away?" Irving yelled. "This song is going to be a hit!"

"I know," Harry said quietly. "Just, not yet, and not with me."

"Now what the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Irving shrugged, convinced Harry must be on drugs.

"I can't explain. Sorry to have wasted your time Mr. Azoff, I hope we meet again." Harry held out his hand to shake, knowing he would probably see Irving again someday. Or, at least the old 2017 version of Harry would meet him, unaware of their previous encounter here in 1977.

"This is just ridiculous," Irving muttered as he stood up to leave.

Finally having that weight lifted from his conscience, Harry's sleepless night suddenly caught up with him, and he returned to bed to rest his eyes, just for a minute.

Yet, several hours later, Stevie was yet again waking him up - this time in a rush as she tried to get him ready to play at the Troubadour one more time that night.

"Hurry up! And here, wear these:" she tossed him the yellow pants he had arrived in 1977 in, and Harry noticed they'd been washed and ironed.

"Thanks," he said as he put them on, and grabbed a shirt before following her out the door. As they rode there, she went over the songs they were going to play that night. Mainly, the same thing they'd played the night before, minus 'Two Ghosts' and 'From the Dining Table' - Harry's songs. Harry assumed that since he'd turned down Irving, his songs had been removed from the set list.

"What about 'Leather and Lace'?" Harry asked.

"Well, since you own that song, it's up to you, but Irving isn't happy with you right now..." Stevie smiled sympathetically.

"About that, actually...I think," Harry paused, not sure how he would go about this. "I think it sounds great when you sing it."

"Thanks." She smiled. "We make a good team." She winked and nudged his arm.

"Well, I mean, I think it would sound better without me. Like," Harry again paused. "I want you to have it."

"Why?" Stevie didn't understand why he'd give away a hit song like that.

"It doesn't really suit me, I guess. I think the song fits you better."

"But it's duet, I can't sing it on my own." She argued.

"Maybe, you know, find someone else to sing it with? Like, ummm," Harry pretended to think, even though he knew very much so who she should sing it with. "You and Don Henley looked very, um, friendly together the other night. And you sound great together, too."

Stevie burst out laughing and surprised Harry. "Irving thought Don and I should date, for a little publicity, you know? But, get this," she put her hand on Harry's arm, "Irv came to me last night before the show, and said he thought it would be better if  _you_  and I had a thing." Stevie laughed, and Harry nervously joined in.

"That's, hilarious." He said.

"I told him you were too young for me." She shrugged, and Harry relaxed. "So, you think Don and I should do the song?"

"Yeah, maybe. If you were planning on doing a solo album, or something," Harry shrugged and tried to casually fix history.

"I have been thinking about it," Stevie eyed Harry curiously. "Tell you what, I'll buy the song from you - if you really don't want it. And if you change your mind, we can always do the song together, okay?"

"Sounds good." Harry smiled.

"How much do you want for it?" She dug through her purse for her wallet or checkbook.

"1$. But, can you sign it for me?" Harry asked, and Stevie again eyed him at his odd request.

"You want me to sign a dollar bill for you?"

"It'll be like, signing an unwritten contract, kind of." He offered, and she eventually nodded.

"Okay...." She found a pen and carefully signed the one dollar bill for Harry.

"Thanks." Harry took the bill and tucked it safely in his pocket. They arrived at the Troubadour shortly after, and for the first time since he was somehow transported back to the year 1977, Harry felt at ease. He relaxed, and was able to enjoy himself more during their performance that night than he had the night before.

"We're going to take a quick break, and when we return, Harry and I are going to sing 'Leather and Lace' together again," Stevie announced, and the audience cheered. Harry waved to the crowd and followed Stevie off the stage. It was dark, and Harry bumped into someone backstage.

"Sorry, Mr. Styles," the person responded, and Harry jerked his head up to look at them.

"No, it's my fault, really." Harry trailed off when he realized the man was dressed differently - or, at least differently than Harry expected. He wore dark, tight jeans, a t-shirt, and a hairstyle Harry hadn't seen for several days. Harry's eyes shot open and he looked around backstage at the once-familiar setting. The walls were the right color again, the light fixtures modern, and most importantly, there was a dressing room with his name on it.

"Harry, are you ready to sing 'Leather and Lace' with Stevie?" He heard a familiar voice, and turned to see his manager, Jeff.

"Yes, and Jeff....." Harry stepped closer to inspect his face. "I never realized how much you looked like your father when he was your age."

"Okay..." Jeff glanced up from his phone to look Harry in the eyes. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, just, relieved to be," Harry stopped and took a deep breath. "To be here, right now." He wanted to say he was happy to be back - back in the year 2017 where he belonged. "Would you excuse me for a moment?" He turned and entered his dressing room, shutting the door behind him. Harry pulled his phone out of his pocket to turn it on, and the dollar bill Stevie had signed for him fell out. He hadn't noticed at the time what she wrote, but he read the inscription and smiled:

'To my lemon tea boy, <3 Stevie Nicks'

His phone booted up and he quickly looked up 'Leather and Lace' to see if he had corrected history. As it should be, the song was listed under Stevie's solo album  _Bella Donna_ , performed with Don Henley. Harry smiled and felt tears forming at the corners of his eyes when he realized all was right in the universe again. He was back in 2017, and had fixed the timeline he accidentally messed up.

But most importantly, Harry learned a lesson. He learned who he was, and what kind of artist he wanted to be.

A knock on his door interrupted his introspection, and he quickly wiped his eyes. "Yes?" He called, and the door opened a crack.

"Five minutes Harry," someone announced, and he nodded.

Harry looked in the mirror and blinked a few times before leaving. He walked across the hall to Stevie Nicks' dressing room, but paused when he saw someone carrying a cup of tea for her. "I'll take that." Harry smiled and took the mug of, as he had rightly guessed, lemon tea, before knocking on her door.

"Is that my- oh, Harry?" She looked up at him, a weird look in her eye.

"Your lemon tea? Yes." Harry smiled and handed her the mug. He wondered if she remembered him from 1977, or if that had all been in his head. But the way she kept staring answered his question.

"Thank you" She blinked in confusion and looked away, but turned back to him. "It's just, those yellow trousers...they look familiar."

"Well, I've been wearing them all evening," Harry joked and put his hands in his pockets, feeling that dollar bill in one of them. "Perhaps this will jog your memory." He carefully took it from his pocket and handed it to her.

"My lemon tea boy?" Stevie thought for a moment after reading what she'd written 40 years ago on that dollar bill, then nearly dropped her tea. She looked back at Harry with wide eyes. "How is that possible?" She tilted her head in confusion, and Harry smiled back.

He shrugged. "I don't know, but it'll be our little secret, okay?"

Stevie nodded, still speechless. Harry didn't understand it either, but he was back where he belonged, and he had a job to do. Someone escorted him back to the stage, herding him in the right direction and giving him instructions.

As he walked out on the stage, he heard the familiar screams of his fans and felt happier than ever to see them. Harry may have initially wanted to branch out and seek a new audience beyond his One Direction fans, but now he was perfectly content with the audience he had, and thankful for their support.

"It's good to be back," he said, and the crowd laughed, since he'd only been gone for about ten minutes. "I am so incredibly happy and honored to introduce the amazing, and wonderful Stevie Nicks!" He grinned, and the audience cheered for Stevie as she joined him on stage. She gave him a hug before taking her place opposite Harry on the stage.

"I am equally honored to be singing with this young man tonight," she said, looking at Harry with that odd expression she'd had backstage, still trying to piece together what had happened.

Harry smiled back at her and his band began playing the opening notes of 'Leather and Lace'. The song didn't quite sound right, and Harry realized he had never fixed his 'cover' of the song back in 1977, so it had remained that way all these years. It was a minor detail, and the song basically still sounded the same, so Harry smiled to himself, knowing his little accidental trip back in time to the 1970's had left a tiny impact - something only he would know. It was almost like a souvenir, a memento, something to remember the lesson he had learned on his bizarre adventure.

 

 

(Stevie and Harry singing Leather and Lace:)

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QONWTFVypC0>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harry's safely back in 2017 where he belongs, and he's learned not to copy his idols and just be himself. XD
> 
> Thank you for reading; this was so much fun to write, and I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have! : D

**Author's Note:**

> I have to give credit for this idea to the movie 'Midnight in Paris', where Owen Wilson somehow travels back to the 1920s by getting in a car at midnight, in Paris. It got me thinking about what would happen if Harry was suddenly thrown into the era he was inspired by for his album and solo image. This has been a very fun story to research, Thank you for reading!


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